History's Dumpster = GLORIOUS trash! Kitsch, music, fashion, food, history, ephemera, and other memorable and forgotten, famous and infamous pop culture junk and oddities of yesterday and today. Saved from the landfill of time...

Thursday, October 30, 2014

One of the BEST Halloween variety TV specials of the '70s. Starring Margaret Hamilton (reprising her role as The Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz), Betty White, Tim Conway, Roz Kelly, Billie Hayes, Billy Barty, Florence Henderson, an uncredited appearance from Donny & Marie Osmond and musical guest Kiss.

Tuesday, October 07, 2014

Yes, it's been a while since I've last posted. I really haven't felt very inspired lately. The depression spells have hit quite hard in recent weeks. But the fog appears to be breaking up. So I'll start fresh.

It seems like the late '60s/early '70s were filled with cartoon pop acts; The Banana Splits, Josie & The Pussycats, The Archies, et al. But The Sugar Bears appeared to be the first act directly tied to a commercial product mascot (Sugar Bear of Super Sugar Crisp cereal.) They were promoted through a short-lived cartoon series and cut out records on the boxes of Super Sugar Crisp cereal.

Presenting The Sugar Bears was one of the earliest releases on the fledgling Big Tree Records label, which would be the '70s record label home of Lobo, Hot Chocolate, Brownsville Station and most notably, England Dan & John Ford Coley.

The Sugar Bears was another stop in the career of Kim Carnes, who joined shortly after leaving The New Christy Minstrels. She wrote some of the songs and sings on this album (as "Honey Bear".) Another former Christy and member of Kenny Roger's First Edition, Mike Settle, also writes and sings on this album.